1. Technical Field
Aspects of this document relate generally to expandable small electrical device covers, such as for use with electrical outlets and switches. More specific implementations involve covers that can be flattened while not in use and expanded to a depth sufficient to house a plug while the outlet is in use.
2. Background Art
In-use outlet covers are those outlet covers that are configured to allow an electrical plug to be plugged into the outlet while a protective cover is closed. Having the cover closed while being used allows the cover to protect the outlet from the elements, such as rain, moisture and dust.
Conventionally, to enable an electrical outlet cover to close while the outlet is in use, the base or lid of the cover unit needs to be adapted to be deep enough to allow for the lid to close without significant interference with the plug when the plug is inserted into the outlet. Some of the conventional approaches to accomplishing this deeper base are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,723,922 to Shotey et al. (Issued Apr. 20, 2004) titled “Universal cover plate”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,133,531 to Hayduke (Issued Oct. 17, 2000) titled “Weatherproof outlet cover”, U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,832 to Shotey et al. (Issued Jan. 29, 1991) titled “Recessed electrical outlet with cover”, U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,307 to Shotey et al. (Issued Feb. 7, 1989) titled “Weatherproof outlet cover”, the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference for their general relevance to the formation and manufacture of cover assemblies.
Each of these designs involves a cover unit having a fixed dimension using what is typically called a bubble cover lid that bulges to allow room for the plug and cord within the cover when it is closed. One of the common complaints associated with conventional in-use cover designs is that the cover units protrude three or more inches from the exterior of the home, may be damaged or dislodged by passers-by, and are often unattractive on the home due to the size.
Horizontal and vertical mountable electrical device cover assemblies using hinges are known in the art. Some examples of these assemblies are shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,763,831 to Shotey et al. (issued Jun. 9, 1998) titled “Universal Cover Plate, Cover Plate Assembly, and Related Methods,” 6,133,531 to Hayduke et al. (issued Oct. 17, 2000) titled “Weatherproof Outlet Cover,” 6,441,307 to Shotey et al. (issued Aug. 27, 2002) titled “Universal Cover Plate,” 6,476,321 to Shotey et al. (issued Nov. 5, 2002) titled “Horizontal and Vertical Mountable Weatherproof Cover Plate,” 6,979,777 to Marcou et al. (issued Dec. 27, 2005) titled “Weatherproof Electrical Enclosure Having an Adjustable-Position Cover,” 6,894,223 to Shotey et al. (issued May 17, 2005) titled “Horizontal and vertical mountable weatherproof cover plate”, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/056,835 to Shotey et al. (filed Feb. 11, 2005) titled “Weatherproof Receptacle Cover with Adapter Plate,” the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference for their general relevance to the formation and manufacture of cover assemblies. Such assemblies are conventionally made of plastic or metal, may be converted for use with removable portions to adapt the electrical device openings of the base for use with many different types of electrical devices using the same components, and may incorporate spring biased hinge members to enable use in both horizontal and vertical orientations using the same assemblies.
Typical base configurations for electrical devices include, but are not limited to, blank, duplex, decora, ground fault circuit interrupt (GFCI), round and switch. Examples of structures that may be used to enable a base member to be configured for conversion between various other configurations are shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,723,922 to Shotey et al. (issued Apr. 20, 2004) titled “Universal cover plate”, 6,987,225 to Shotey et al. (issued Jan. 17, 2006) titled “Convertible electrical device cover and method for installing same”, 6,441,307 to Shotey et al. (issued Aug. 27, 2002) titled “Universal Cover Plate,” and 6,770,816 to Shotey et al. (issued Aug. 3, 2004) titled “Convertible electrical device cover and method for installing same”, the relevant disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, as suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 6,770,816, the base member may be configured with an opening and attachment members and replaceable adapter plates may be used to enable the installer to select the desired base configuration. These references also include examples of removable cord escape tabs for vertical or horizontal orientations.
The base member may also be configured to cover the socket face of the outlet to which it is attached but allow for plugs to extend through the cover to the electrical outlet. Examples of outlet covers that are configured to cover the socket base are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,582 to Shotey et al. (issued Jul. 13, 2004) titled “Receptacle-mounted cover plate to hide electrical socket face”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.